The Farnese Theatre and its history

The Teatro Farnese, in Parma, was the court theatre of the dukes of Parma and Piacenza. Today it is part of the Galleria Nazionale and has recently become the venue for some concerts and opera performances of the Teatro Regio di Parma. It was built from 1618 by Ranuccio I, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, who intended to celebrate with a theatrical performance the stop in Parma of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II, directed to Milan to honor the tomb of Saint Charles Borromeo, canonized in 1610. The realization of the work was entrusted to the architect Giovanni Battista Aleotti, known as l’Argenta (1546-1636): it was built on the first floor of the Palazzo della Pilotta in Parma, in a large room designed as Salone Antiquarium but always used as a weapons room and as a venue for tournaments. The theater was completed in the autumn of 1618 and dedicated to Bellona (goddess of war, in homage to the first destination of the environment) and the Muse: because of an illness that had affected Cosimo II, forcing him to cancel the planned pilgrimage, the theatre remained unused for almost ten years. It was finally inaugurated on 21 December 1628, on the occasion of the wedding of Odoardo, son of Ranuccio, with Margherita de’ Medici, daughter of Cosimo.

To celebrate the event was staged the show Mercury and Mars, with lyrics by Claudio Achillini and music by Claudio Monteverdi: during the opera was also flooded the cavea and staged a naumachia. Due to the complexity and high cost of staging, the theatre was used only eight more times: the last in 1732, on the occasion of the arrival of Don Charles de Bourbon in the duchy. Argenta was inspired by the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, built by Palladio in 1580, and the Teatro all’Antica in Sabbioneta, built between 1588 and 1590 by the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi. Housed in a large hall (87 meters long by 32 wide and 22 high), the U cavea is formed by fourteen steps on which could be accommodated about 3000 spectators: at the top of the cavea are two orders of serliane, the lower Tuscanian and the upper Ionic; the stage is 40 meters long, with an opening of 12 meters. The structure was made of wood (spruce from Friuli) and entirely covered with painted stucco to simulate marble (characteristic materials of ephemeral architecture, such as the Farnese Theatre). The sculptural decoration (statues with a mythological subject in plaster, with a straw soul) was entrusted to a team of artists led by Luca Reti; the painters, led by Giovan Battista Trotti known as Malosso, Lionello Spada, Sisto Badalocchio, Antonio Bertoja and Pier Antonio Bernabei, had to provide, in addition to the decoration of the walls, also the one now lost ceiling. It is considered by some to be one of the first theatres to be equipped with a permanent proscenium arch, however when the theatre was built the performances were not held there. Entrance of the Farnese Theatre inside the Palazzo della Pilotta After the performance of 1732, the theatre declined inexorably: it was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War, in a bombing by the Allies on 13 May 1944. It was rebuilt between 1956 and 1960, according to the original drawings with the recovered material and inserted as a prestigious entrance to the National Gallery of Parma. Only recently, after almost three centuries of inactivity, the theatre has returned to host theatrical events with a very first performance in front of 1500 spectators on June 12, 2011 by Claudio Abbado and his Mozart Orchestra.

Discover the other places not to be missed in Parma

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Along with the Baptistery, Parma Cathedral is one of the most important monuments of the city for its beauty and historical importance.

Regio Theatre

The Teatro Regio di Parma, considered among the most prestigious and well-known in the world, was inaugurated on 16 May 1829 with Zaira, an opera specially composed for the occasion by Vincenzo Bellini.

Ducal Park

It has always been the “garden” of Parma. Built in 1561 as a private park, it was opened to the public only after the unification of Italy.

Pilotta Palace

Immense complex that takes its name from the game of Pelota, houses inside, among other things, the magnificent Palatine Library.

Palatina Library

The Palatina Library of Parma is a public library located inside the Palazzo della Pilotta. The name originates from the temple of Apollo Palatine of Rome.

Sanctuary Santa Maria della Steccata

The church of the Steccata, a splendid example of Parmesan Renaissance architecture, was built on land that was once revered for a popular religious tradition.

Governor’s Palace and Piazza Garibaldi

Ideal location for temporary exhibitions and exhibitions, the Governor’s Palace dominates the central Piazza Garibaldi in Parma and tells a story that goes back over 700 years ago.

Farnese Theatre